Court Clerk Seeks More File Space

June 27, 1986|By Jon Marcus, Staff Writer

With boxes of trial records overflowing into hallways at the courthouse, the clerk of courts wants more file space in a crowded Broward County warehouse.

But during an inspection Thursday, Clerk of Courts Robert Lockwood and county officials found the building has no sprinkler system to put out fires. And the county, which stores some of its own files in a former church, has little extra room.

``We`re thinking of moving`` records, Lockwood said. ``That`s just the prudent thing. We`re talking with the county. I prefer to work behind the scenes.``

Lockwood, in a memo to county Finance Director Phil Allen Thursday, said he wants to move his archives to the county`s Records Center No. 1 at 515 SW Second Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The 10-year-old building houses county files and other court documents from Lockwood`s office but has no sprinkler system.

The memo also asked that the staff and equipment used to microfilm the court records be placed under Lockwood`s direct authority, not the county`s, and that more people be hired on a temporary basis to process the documents.

Lockwood`s office has shared the warehouse with the county since 1976, and county records chief Bill Kuchinskas said Thursday he was puzzled about the new interest in more space.

``I wish I could say I know what`s going on,`` he said.

Lockwood said he is simply out of room at the courthouse.

``I`m tired of my records being out in the hallways or getting wet. They`re not secure,`` he said.

Kuchinskas said, ``There is no requirement that you have a sprinkler`` system. He said such a system would cost at least $60,000 for the building.

``Someone`s going to have to ask for the money,`` Kuchinskas said.

Last month, the county opened a second records warehouse, a 20,000-square- foot building at 645 NW Fourth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. It also uses part of an abandoned church for file space and another building for election records.